Happy to Help
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A destitute farmer sells his land to the supermarket chain that drove him out of business.
Fifteen years later and a bustling supermarket stands on the same spot. UK managing director Tony is coming to work undercover at the store for a week. Branch manager Vicky is determined to give him a more grimly authentic experience than he’d ever dared wish for. Shelf-stacker Josh dreams of escape and rock stardom. Union organiser Elliot dreams of Josh. By Friday, nothing will ever be the same for them again.
Happy to Help is an acerbic comedy about how Britain has become a nation of shop assistants. This programme text edition was first published to coincide with the world premiere of the play at Park Theatre, London, in June 2016.
Michael Ross is a British playwright, A graduate of the Royal Court’s Young Writers Programme, he was shortlisted for the 2014 Off West End.com ‘Adopt A Playwright’ Award. In 2012 Michael was one of four playwrights chosen by the Writers Guild & RADA as part of their ‘Plays of Innocence and Experience’ development project, and in 2013 his play Saving Souls In Soho was selected to open ‘The Band Plays On’ festival of new writing at Greenwich Theatre. His work has been described as ‘fun, sparky and full of ideas’ (The Stage) ‘very pertinent . . . fast paced and very funny’ (Socialist Worker) ‘pared and articulate’ (What’s On London) ‘fiendishly sardonic’ (Hackney Hive) ‘fluid, clever’ (British Theatre Guide) and ‘well-constructed and thought-provoking’ (London Magazine). Michael’s plays have been performed at the Arcola, the Southwark Playhouse, Theatre 503, RADA, Riverside Studios, the Kings Head, the Old Red Lion and the Old Vic Tunnels, amongst many others. A Handful of Mustard Seed received a rehearsed reading at the Bush Theatre Library in 2010 with Paula Wilcox in the lead role, and his debut short film Dawn Rescue premiered at the 2012 Portobello Film Festival.